Boing Boing pointed me towards the online portion of the Harper’s Index for this month–it’s all about Bush. And while I appreciate that he didn’t bring about a Dr. Strangelove-like “nucular” winter–which I fully expected when the war(s) started–these just reminded me alll over again how really and truly bad the last eight years have been:
- Days since the federal government first placed the nation under an “elevated terror alert” that the level has been relaxed: 0
- Percentage of the amendments in the Bill of Rights that are violated by the USA PATRIOT Act, according to the ACLU: 50
- Minimum number of Bush appointees who have regulated industries they used to represent as lobbyists: 98
- Portion of Baghdad residents in 2007 who had a family member or friend wounded or killed since 2003: 3/4
- Percentage of U.S. veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have filed for disability with the VA: 35
- Chance that an Iraq war veteran who has served two or more tours now has post-traumatic stress disorder: 1 in 4
- Minimum number of detainees who were tortured to death in U.S. custody: 8
- Percentage of EPA scientists who say they have experienced political interference with their work since 2002: 60
- Minimum amount that religious groups received in congressional earmarks from 2003 to 2006: $209,000,000
- Amount such groups received during the previous fourteen years: $107,000,000
- Rank of Bush among U.S. presidents with the highest disapproval rating: 1
- Average percentage of Americans who approved of the job Bush was doing during his second term: 37
- Percentage of Russians today who approve of the direction their country took under Stalin: 37
There’s more online, if you want to get worked up even more. But guess what? Tomorrow will have happy news!